Video: Gorilla Glass 3 takes on a steel ball

Gorilla Glass is strong, still breakable, but strong. Now in it’s third generation and on more that a billion devices worldwide, Corning has announced Gorilla Glass 3.

At CES 2013 I stopped by their booth for a quick demo of this in action as it’s reportedly three times stronger, has “Native Damage Resistance” which offers a 40% reduction in the number of scratches that you’ll be able to see. As you’ll see in the video GG3 takes on a 135 gram steel ball a couple times, then survives a serious amount of pressure. It would be cool if they created the same glass display experience on the front of the device to the back of the device – think how indestructible the Nexus 4 would be.

David Velasquez, Corning’s Director of Marketing and Commercial Operations, stated they are currently testing Gorilla Glass 3 with manufacturers and will be in-market sometime mid-2013. Finally, I asked about their flexible “Willow Glass” product and this is also in testing with unknown partners, but not yet scheduled to be available for some time.

Temi

They do the same crap every year. Yet when my phone drops the glass still breaks. Better than the rest as far as scratching etc, but still breaks from a regular fall

JUST SAYING

you are testing it wrong

Tim Cook

IceScream

These tests are all rigged!

If the glass is 300% stronger how about putting it on a Samsung 2 or another olde phone and giving it to people to drop it from ear-height!at Three times it should last..except that it won’t because it isn’t that strong. ahhh marketing, we all love lies sweet lies.

We all do that “test” sooner or later, and that’s the only thing we care about. A ball hitting a piece of glass in a wooden-highschool model is rubbish!

IceScream

Obvioulsy the gorilla in the white shirt hasn’t heard about something called “Acceleration” We drop our phones from 1.60-1.80m (even women on heels) dropping the weight of a phone (Please not a Nokia 900!!) at that distance would be more representative of a real experiment.

The gorillas should watch one or two “experiments” on something called youtube with people dropping REAL phones from ear or Shoulder height and see the REAL Results.

These guys are Bananas!!

2see

RIP Android

kai

Dragontrail glass is better xD

Tyrone

Are you sure about that? I dropped my Razr MAXX HD more times than I can count since I got it and I haven’t had to replace it yet.

Kriilin Namek

And all the device makers seem to do is make their products thinner, not more robust.

Geoff

It’s much more lucrative to sell phones that look sexy and then sell a thick case for robustness.

Tom Hanks

These test Gorilla Glass tests sucks. Just put the glass in a device and do some real life drops, thats all most care for.

gurtej08

Of course the glass will break, it’s glass after all. But what they are also trying to sell is how the screen quality will remain after time. When you put your phone in your pocket with your keys, coins, or what have you, the phone starts to get nicks and scratches. I’m not saying there aren’t better alternatives, but it’s just one of their selling features.

Dan

Needs a comparison to Gorilla Glass 2

Squint

Was thinking the same thing. What makes 3 better then 2… other then the obvious number being higher.

IceScream

Gorilla 3 has a white shirt and loves gold rings.

Gorilla 2 is not in the picture.

Both of them need a phone with access to youtube to learn what a REAL dropping test is.

nexus

Quite the contraption. Just drop the phone terds!

jon

My phone has a good clear plastic lens with a Zagg screen protector. Dropped it many times over the last 2 years, nothing is broken and still looks like brand new.

Cameron

you know what’s durable. the old flip phones, those were made right and durable. i still have mine and it’s 5 years old and still hasn’t broke.

Geoff

My old flip phone fell on the ground and shattered into several pieces.
I personally found the hinges on flip phones were a point of failure on them. That’s why I was so happy with my slider phone.

David

Cool. Now I won’t need to worry about accidently dropping a 135g ball through an 18 inch clear plastic tube elevated at a 30 degree angle onto my Gorilla Glass 3 phone. That was my biggest concern with my next cell phone purchase.

menodumb

test it with a real Gorilla ….then maybe ……

babablacksheep

Candy bar phones were always the strongest, by far. Flip phones always had a weak point.

Clockwork

Test by rubbing some sand or other abrasive material on it.
let me know if it doesn’t scratch.

That’s what I care about

wtyoda

The real concern is how thick is that test sample of Gorilla glass.

snoop lion

All this test is supposed to show is that Gorilla glass 3 is better, why is everyone complaining? Its not like they downgraded gorilla glass 2 and are trying to sell it off as better with “deceptive” tests like these.

Snoopdogg

I can’t remember the last time I dropped a massive ball bearing on my phone with a seven newton scratch on a 10 angle..

W

To be honest, what we have already in the form of GG and GG2 works well enough. Now if only the coatings are scratch resistent. There is no point having scratch resistent glass if the coating is all scratched to hell easily.

Lbutlr

What coating? My iPhone 4S has no case or screen cover and no scratches or coating.

Gman

xperia z is dragontrail glass front and back, I and its suppose to be 6 times stronger than GG2. Want to see hows that compare.